Contents

Biography

Early life

.Born in Mogadishu, Somalia,[3] K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu[4] and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most famous singers.^K’naan is born in Mogadishu then migrated to Canada after the civil war broke out in Somalia where he still lives there.

^The grandson of Haji Mohamed, one of Somalias most famous poets, and nephew of famed Somali singer Magool, the emcee is creating his own musical path through reggae, funk, pop, soul and, above all, hip-hop.

^K’NAAN’s compelling personal story (raised in war-torn Mogadishu, descendant of famed Somali singers and poets) has also fueled his international appeal: bridging styles and audiences; re-invigorating hip hop’s global influence; and altering perception of his homeland, Somalia (recently hailed as the world’s “Most Dangerous Destination” by Forbes Magazine).

J.Period & K’Naan – The Messengers (3 Part Mixtape Series) : Get Right Music – The Best In Mixtape Downloads3 February 2010 16:17 UTCwww.getrightmusic.com [Source type: General]

K'naan's grandfather, Haji Mohamed, was a poet. He is a Muslim, and his name, K'naan, means "traveler" in the Somali language. .He spent the early years of his life avoiding death and listening to the hip-hop records sent to him from America by his father, who had left Somalia earlier.^Recorded primarily in Kingston, Jamaica at the legendary Tuff Gong studios and Bob Marleys home studio, Troubadour is a hip-hop album like no other.

.When he was 13, K'naan, his mother, and his two siblings were able to leave their homeland and join relatives in Harlem, where they stayed briefly before moving to the Toronto, Ontario neighbourhood of Rexdale, where there was a large Somali Canadian community.^This is the first time K’naan visits Somaliland where he is expected to stay for few weeks before he goes back to Canada.

.In his new country, K'naan began learning English, some through hip hop albums by artists like Nas and Rakim.^K’NAAN - "Messengers & Prophets (Interlude) I appreciate that K'NAAN is using hip hop as a vehicle for shining a light on Africa (and Somalia specifically) and the immigrant experience.

.Despite the fact that he could not speak English, the young K'naan taught himself hip hop and rap diction, copying the lyrics and style phonetically.^K’NAAN - "Messengers & Prophets (Interlude) I appreciate that K'NAAN is using hip hop as a vehicle for shining a light on Africa (and Somalia specifically) and the immigrant experience.

[6] He then also began rapping.[7] He dropped out of school in grade ten to travel for a time, rapping at open mic events, and eventually returned to Toronto.

Career

Leaving Somalia at the age of thirteen on what turned out to be the very last commercial flight to ever do so, amidst a crumbling society and the end to this day of any form of central government, K'Naan carried with him a very strong sense of purpose. It is this sense of purpose as well as his amazing lyrical gift, which has made him a beacon for other artists as well as those dedicated to global change. .K'naan became a friend and associate of Canadian promoter Sol Guy, who helped him secure a speaking engagement before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1999, where K'naan performed a spoken word piece criticizing the UN for its failed aid missions to Somalia.^I became a K’NAAN fan when I had a chance to see him perform live at the Steve Madden Store on the Lower East Side while promoting his album 'Troubadour' and I have several J. Period mixes on my hard drive.

[8].One of the audience members, Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, was so impressed by the young MC's performance and courage that he invited him to contribute to his 2001 album Building Bridges, a project through which K'naan was able to tour the world.^Like.com: on Facebook: Home Songs Videos Photos Albums Events Blog Listeners There are upcoming tour dates for K'naan See tour dates Videos posted by K'naan .

In 2006, it won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year, and was nominated for the 2006 Polaris Music Prize. .It also won the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music in the newcomer category for 2007.[9][10]The Dusty Foot Philosopher was re-released and re-packaged as a "Deluxe Edition" featuring new mixes and a bonus DVD in the United States (and various international territories) by the emerging media company and record label iM (Interdependent Media, Inc.^K%26%2339%3Bnaan Troubadour Somali Music The Dusty Foot Philosopher Rap r%26amp%3Bb Hip-Hop Wavin%26%2339%3B Flag K (03:50) .

.Since then, he has been on tour promoting his album and working on his follow-up release, "Troubadour," his debut album for new label A&M/Octone Records.^Growing up, it was both of these Somalias that informed musician/emcee Knaan Warsame, whose sophomore album Troubadour is released this September.

^The grandson of Haji Mohamed, one of Somalias most famous poets, and nephew of famed Somali singer Magool, the emcee is creating his own musical path through reggae, funk, pop, soul and, above all, hip-hop.

Following the release of the music video for the song Soobax, which was shot by K'naan and a film crew in Kenya, k-os released a track B-Boy Stance attacking K'naan : "They took cameras to Africa for pictures to rhyme / Over; Oh, yes, the great pretenders [...] Religious entertainers who want to be life savers." Though the feud never became high-profile, with K'naan expressing confusion at the attack and respect for k-os, he nonetheless responded with the mixtape Revolutionary Avocado which argued "You the all-knowing with a beer bottle / Wishing you was Plato and me Aristotle? / ...Suburban negro turned hip-hop hero / Is there a reason he really hates me, though?" — a rebuttal .CBC's Matthew McKinnon called "cold-cocking the champ".[6] He recently released The Dusty Foot on the Road, a collection of recording made during his recent world tour on Wrasse Records.^The Dusty Foot On the Road (CD) ~ K'naan (Artist) ] .

K'naan would rise to mainstream popularity by participating in the 2008 BET Awards Cypher, This was his first appearance on American television. .His second studio album, Troubadour, was released on February 24, 2009 on A&M/Octone Records, and will be distributed through Universal Music Group worldwide.^The Messengers arrives on the heels of K’NAAN’s sophomore release, Troubadour (A&M/Octone Records), released January 2009.

J.Period & K’Naan – The Messengers (3 Part Mixtape Series) : Get Right Music – The Best In Mixtape Downloads3 February 2010 16:17 UTCwww.getrightmusic.com [Source type: General]

^Karl Blau's upcoming record Zebra (out on K Records 10/9) is shaping up to be my dark horse album of 2009.

.The album's first single, "ABC's", was released to radio in late 2008. K'naan has featured in several video games such as Madden NFL 09 with his song ABC's, and FIFA 06 with his song "Soobax". The song "If Rap Gets Jealous", a rerecording of a track of the same name - with different verses - from The Dusty Foot Philosopher, features Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett.^Bnaan knaan troubadour somalia dusty foot philosopher K'naan - ABC's ft.

^I became a K’NAAN fan when I had a chance to see him perform live at the Steve Madden Store on the Lower East Side while promoting his album 'Troubadour' and I have several J. Period mixes on my hard drive.

K'naan was also the first featured artist on X3, a collaborative project between CBC Radio 3, Exclaim! magazine and aux.tv to promote new Canadian music.[14]

.In September 2009, K'naan teamed up with J. Period, an LA born DJ/producer, and released "The Messengers", a three volume remix project.^Somali-born, Toronto-based MC K’NAAN has teamed up with mixtape master J.Period to drop 'The Messengers' a remixing of the classic work of Fela Kuti, Bob Marley and Bob Dylan.

.Each volume pays tribute to one music icon: Fela Kuti, Bob Marley and Bob Dylan.^Somali-born, Toronto-based MC K’NAAN has teamed up with mixtape master J.Period to drop 'The Messengers' a remixing of the classic work of Fela Kuti, Bob Marley and Bob Dylan.

^A new release every Tuesday in September, beginning with a tribute to Fela Kuti (September 1), Bob Marley (September 8), Bob Dylan (September 15), and culminating in the release of The Messengers in its entirety (including additional bonus tracks and artwork) on September DOWNLOAD: The Messengers Episode 1: Fela Kuti .

K'naan also toured with Jason Mraz during the summer of 2009 for Mraz's Gratitude Cafe Tour. He is currently on tour with Lenny Kravitz on the LLR tour.

.A remixed version of K'naan's single "Wavin' Flag" has been chosen as the Coca-Cola anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be held in South Africa.^This one by Knann - wavin flag YouTube - FIFA world cup ANTHEM South Africa by K'naan(ORIGINAL) Or this one By Daddy Yankee- Grito Mundial YouTube - daddy yankee "grito mundial" (original) I think both of these songs cant compare to this song of France 98" By Ricky Martin- Copa de la vida.

Political views

.In a December 30, 2008 interview with Hard Knock TV, K'naan states that Somali piracy, while not to be condoned, has a reason for existence.^Somali lyricist K'naan talks about his country, local politics, international politics and pirates (recorded in 2007 and 2008).

.It has no basis, no roots, and I'm not talking about, when I say basis - it's not the same as justifications [...] but how there came to be pirates, I think that is probably the most undiscussed thing in major media today - it's as if they just sprung from nowhere.^In the US, there’s no more than two big festivals in any of the major cities, no?

According to K'naan, Somali fishermen organized and armed themselves so that they could protect the Somali shoreline from illegal dumping of nuclear toxic waste from private companies. He goes on to state that, "greed and the lure of money eventually produced what we see today as Somali piracy".[17]

.On April 15, 2009 K'naan publicly criticized the approach to the problem of Somali piracy after the kidnapping of Richard Phillips of the United States flagged MV Maersk Alabamacontainer ship 240 nautical miles (440 km; 280 mi) southeast of the Somalian port city of Eyl.^Cities of the Plain is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License .

[7].His voice and style have been compared to Eminem,[6] but his subject matter is very different; according to K'naan, he makes "urgent music with a message", talking about the situation in his homeland of Somalia and calling for an end to violence and bloodshed.^Bnaan music somali somalis somalia hiphop artist poet singer rapper hip-hop Fatima - K'naan With Lyrics (05:02) .

.All Somalis know that gangsterism isn't to brag about.^Warfaa – Today's young people including our own growing abroad do not know what the fuss is all about or bothered to research about the facts and what reaaly happened.

.The kids that I was growing up with [in Rexdale] would wear baggy [track] suit pants, and a little jacket from Zellers or something, and they'd walk into school, and all the cool kids would be like, 'Ah, man, look at these Somalis.^If there are still people that think rap and it’s tributaries are all bunk, they should be made aware that there are some great tracks in the genre, and as the style grows and absorbs other influences, it would be wise to keep an ear cocked to what’s coming down the pipeline these days.

^And because music doesn't sell like it used to, record companies can't afford to take chances on something unless they think it will sell.

Did Rock Music Peak Right Before Oil Did?3 February 2010 16:17 UTCdigg.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Yo, you're a punk!' And the other kid won't say nothing, but that kid, probably, has killed fifteen people.[8]

”

This statement was made to explain his position on the world of difference which exists between where he grew up, and the ghettos of the first world.[21]. .Nonetheless, K'naan denies that he is overtly political, instead explaining that he "[shows] the state of the world [and] if you call it like it is you're being political."^If you got good and drunk like you're supposed to, I bet you did forget who you were talking to.

^(Need no weapon) This is the story of my trial by erosion of words, (This is the story of my life) Simple what's right like who's just being polite.

SONG of the second [Archive] - Colony of Gamers3 February 2010 16:17 UTCwww.colonyofgamers.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

[22]. His own opinion of his music is that it's a "mix of tradition and [a] kind of articulation of my own life and [..] my past experiences."[22]

.K'naan has said that he is influenced by Somali music and the traditional instruments of Somalia.^Bnaan music somali somalis somalia hiphop artist poet singer rapper hip-hop Fatima - K'naan With Lyrics (05:02) .

Live performances

.Prior to the release of Troubadour, K'naan performed with a small acoustic band, consisting of Rayzak (back-up vocals), Kierscey Rand (acoustic guitar) and UDOGG-The Funky Drummer (djembe and drums).^The band’s stage set up was similar to the last time I saw them perform at the Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn.

More than that, it reflected K'naan's value of meaningful lyrics over shallow theatrics. .One of the last performances of this band was on March 16, 2009 when K'Naan rendered four songs from the newly-launched album for CBC's program QTV with Jian Ghomeshi, although Rayzak continued to join his subsequent shows and Kierscey Rand made occasional appearances, such as his World Cup Trophy Tour.^FIFA world cup ANTHEM South Africa by K'naan(ORIGINAL) (03:42) .

.Since Troubadour, K'naan has toured almost exclusively with a larger electric ensemble - consisting of drums, bass, electric guitar, and keyboards [27] - and his performances now also feature elaborate lighting.^A group of four other musicians playing keyboard, bass, electric guitar, and drums accompanied Sufjan who alternated on banjo, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar.

.This change in showmanship, along with his collaborations with such high profile artists as Adam Levine and Mos Def, has helped to shift K'naan more into the mainstream flow of the music industry and has helped him gain exposure to a wider audience.^Bnaan america mos def chali 2na jurassic troubador real hip hop K' Naan - "America" [Live] (03:06) .

^Today the music industry is worried more about top 40 hits instead of trying new things.

Did Rock Music Peak Right Before Oil Did?3 February 2010 16:17 UTCdigg.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Collaborations

.In 2009, K'Naan collaborated with the English rock band Keane on two songs from their forthcoming EP Night Train.^Nameless 10-08-2008, 07:09 PM The Clash - Train In Vain Thank you, Rock Band, for allowing me to enjoy this great song.

SONG of the second [Archive] - Colony of Gamers3 February 2010 16:17 UTCwww.colonyofgamers.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.In 2010, during the Vancouver Olympics, 40 other Canadian musicians and artists came together with K'Naan under the collaboration name of Young Artists for Haiti at the Bryan Adams Vancouver studios to produce a charity version of his song "Wavin Flag". The music video was released March 1, 2010. String students from Lord Byng Secondary and Magee Secondary joined together momentarily and formed an orchestra which accompanied the song.^Classic Sesame Street Vintage Fran Brill 1980%26%2339%3Bs Wavin' Flag - K'Naan HQ Sound Widescreen (03:41) .

K'naan (born Kaynaane Warsame in Somalia in 1978) is a Somali-Canadian poet, rapper and musician. Warsame started writing music in 2002 when recorded songs for his first album released in 2005 called The Dusty Foot Philosopher. He then made a live album in 2007 called The Dusty Foot in the Road. In February 2009, he released his third studio album Troubadour.

K'naan including a bunch of Canadian singers called "Young Artists for Haiti" remade the song "Wavin' Flag" for the Earthquake in Haiti.